Tom Loewy: Dragging incident changed her life

Thursday

Debra Briggs sat inside Judge Scott Shipplett’s courtroom during Wednesday afternoon’s recess with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap.

She stared at the carpet, then looked at court officials when they erupted in laughter over some shared story.

Debra was there in response to a subpoena. She said she expected to testify in the People v. Douglas S. Briggs.

Douglas Briggs was Debra’s husband for 32 years. They raised two boys together and owned a house on the edge of Yates City.

Debra Briggs sat inside Judge Scott Shipplett’s courtroom during Wednesday afternoon’s recess with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap.

She stared at the carpet, then looked at court officials when they erupted in laughter over some shared story.

Debra was there in response to a subpoena. She said she expected to testify in the People v. Douglas S. Briggs.

Douglas Briggs was Debra’s husband for 32 years. They raised two boys together and owned a house on the edge of Yates City.

That’s all over now. Debra said she expects the divorce to be final today.

“It all started on Memorial Day weekend last year,” Debra said in a hushed tone. It was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Maybe Sunday. I don’t know.

“It was so shocking, what happened. I have a hard time thinking about it.”

What did happen, according to law enforcement, shocked a lot of people in and around Knox County. On May 29, 2011, Debra called 911 and reported that her husband had dragged Phoebe, their then-2-year-old Beagle, for some two blocks. “Phoebe had run away and I went and found her and I called my husband to come get us,” Debra said. “He came, took the dog, and held on to the leash while he drove away.”

The report said Douglas told Phoebe “You want to run? Let’s run.”

“The thing was, when Doug first started driving, Phoebe was running alongside, looking up at Doug like they were playing. Then Doug sped up and dragged Phoebe.”

The dog is fine today, Debra said.

“I took her to vet’s and the doctor had to cut the shredded skin off her paws and then he bandaged her up. She is fine today. And she misses Doug if he doesn’t come around and visit her.”

Debra explained that Doug, to this day, loves Phoebe. And the little Beagle loves Doug.

“That’s what made that day so shocking. Doug would do anything for that dog. Phoebe ate his hearing aids once — expensive hearing aids — and Doug was the one who nursed her back to health. Not long before that Memorial Day weekend, Phoebe ate a sewing needle. Doug didn’t even blink when he paid $1,000 for that dog’s surgery.”

Debra said her husband of over three decades never displayed any kind of violent behavior.

“I never saw such a thing. Never expected it. It was like the world was wrong. It was like the light was wrong.”

Debra and Doug met when he was attending Muscatine Community College in Iowa. It was the 1970s. He was living with seven other guys and one of Debra’s friends dated one of Doug’s roommates.

Inside the courtroom, Debra recalled that gathering.

“I saw Doug right away. I liked him immediately. He was so bright. So young. Back then, he had such a winning smile. We found out that we both enjoyed playing chess. We we’re such interesting people back then.”

Debra recalled a man who loved playing in the leaves with his children.

“I have so many good memories. When the boys were little they loved playing in the fall leaves. We had a cocker spaniel back then.”

According to Debra, the dragging incident laid bare another aspect of her marriage.

“First of all, here was a man who had always been loving and had never been physically violent to anyone dragging a dog. Suddenly, I was afraid of him. It was like I didn’t know this man.

“And then I discovered I had been out of the loop. I didn’t know what was going on in my life.”

Debra declined to elaborate. She is finishing pharmacy school and — at the age when people used to retire — will try to restart her life.

“I’m on my own now,” she said. “I don’t even have health insurance. But I think I’m ready.”

Debra said she is keeping Phoebe.

“My life was going one way and in the span of 10 minutes, it went another. Now I’m going to go find a life of my own.”

The case was continued to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 14 because the prosecutor most knowledgeable of the case was not available Wednesday.

Tom Loewy is a reporter/columnist with The Register-Mail. Contact him at tloewy@register-mail.com or 343-7181, ext 256.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.